Chapter 3 - The Blood Money
The heavy mahogany door of Luca’s private study was locked, but I still felt incredibly exposed. Katie was curled on the leather sofa, her breathing finally slowing down as she stared blankly at the fireplace. I sat beside her, my hands trembling violently as I stared at the crumpled bank receipt in my lap. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. From the Falcone family. Working in the Moretti household, you learn the names you are never supposed to say out loud. The Falcones were Luca’s biggest rivals. They controlled the ports on the East Coast, and a bloody turf war had only ended three years ago with a fragile truce. Why was Luca’s fiancée taking a quarter of a million dollars from his mortal enemies? “Emma?” Katie whispered, her voice fragile. “Are we going to jail? That man was bleeding.” “No, honey,” I smoothed her hair, forcing a calm I didn't feel. “Mr. Moretti protected us. We’re safe in here.” But were we? Vanessa had tried to hand my little sister over to a sixty-one-year-old man like a party favor. She had fired Marisol for resisting. She was selling the household staff to secure business deals, all behind Luca’s back. And now, I was holding proof of treason. Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway outside. Katie flinched, pulling her knees to her chest. “Emma. It's Luca.” The voice was deep, calm, and unmistakably him. I walked to the door, hesitating for a fraction of a second before turning the deadbolt. Luca stepped inside. The charcoal suit jacket was gone, his white dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the edge of a dark ink tattoo on his chest. He looked exhausted. He closed the door and locked it again. “The guests are gone,” Luca said quietly, walking over to the small wet bar and pouring a glass of water. He brought it to Katie. “Drink this, sweetheart. You’re safe now.” Katie took the glass with shaking hands. “Thank you, Mr. Moretti.” He knelt in front of the sofa so he was at eye level with her. “You never have to call me sir or Mr. Moretti again. And you will never serve in this house, or any house, again. Your college tuition will be paid in full starting tomorrow. It's the absolute least I can do.” Katie’s eyes widened, tears spilling over again. I stared at him. “You don't have to do that.” Luca stood up, turning to face me. The warmth he showed Katie vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp intensity. “I am responsible for everything that happens under my roof, Emma. My fiancée used my home to facilitate a trafficking ring disguised as corporate hospitality. I am sick to my stomach.” “Where is she?” I asked, my voice tight. “Locked in her bedroom. With two guards outside the door.” Luca ran a hand through his dark hair. “Richard Vale is gone. He claims he thought the girls were willing companions. He’s a coward, but he’s not my primary concern right now.” I looked down at the receipt in my hand. Answer one, open two. I knew Vanessa was corrupt, but I didn't understand the depth of it until this moment. She wasn't just leveraging staff to please Luca’s associates. She was actively plotting against the Moretti family. “She didn't do this just to please Richard,” I said softly. Luca frowned. “What do you mean?” I held out the crumpled piece of paper. “Katie brought Richard's coat upstairs. This fell out of the inner pocket.” Luca took the receipt. His eyes scanned the numbers, then landed on the routing information at the bottom. I watched the color slowly drain from his face. “The Falcones,” Luca whispered. “Richard is acting as a middleman,” I said, piecing it together aloud. “Vanessa is taking money from your enemies. She was giving my sister to Richard not just as a favor, but as payment. To keep him quiet about the transactions.” The silence in the study was suffocating. Luca crushed the paper in his fist. He walked over to the large window overlooking the dark estate grounds. “She’s selling my supply routes,” Luca said, his voice barely audible. “Vanessa has access to the shipping manifests. She’s selling the schedules to the Falcones so they can intercept our cargo.” He turned to look at me, and there was a strange, terrifying respect in his eyes. “You just saved my empire, Emma.” “I just wanted to save my sister,” I replied honestly. “You did both.” Luca stepped closer to me. The proximity made my heart race. He smelled of cedar and rain. “Emma, I need you to understand something. This information puts a target on your back. The Falcones do not leave loose ends. And Vanessa’s family has deep ties in this city.” “I need to go home,” I said, panic suddenly flaring. “My mother. She’s alone in the house.” Luca’s expression hardened. “I’ve already sent a car for her. Two of my best men are bringing her to a secure safe house downtown. You and Katie are going with them tonight.” “A safe house? Luca, I can't live like a fugitive. We have lives!” “Your life is in danger because of my blindness,” Luca said firmly, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. His touch was warm, sending a jolt through my nervous system. “I will fix this. I will dismantle Vanessa’s network. But until I do, you belong to my protection.” I looked into his dark eyes and realized I had no choice. The world I knew was gone. Suddenly, Luca’s cell phone vibrated on the desk. He picked it up, glancing at the screen. His jaw clenched. “It's the front gate security,” he muttered, pressing answer. “What is it?” I watched his face change. The stoic mafia boss suddenly looked deeply unsettled. “Are you sure?” Luca asked into the phone. He hung up slowly. “What's wrong?” I asked. Luca looked at me, a profound confusion in his eyes. “My guards just brought your mother to the gate,” Luca said softly. “Thank God,” I breathed out. “Emma,” Luca interrupted, his voice tight. “There’s a woman with her. She says she’s your mother’s older sister. She says she needs to speak to me immediately.” I stared at him, my heart pounding in my ears. “Luca... my mother doesn't have a sister. She was an only child.”
